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Home / Cadet Blogs / Extracurricular, Just for Fun, Faith-based

Football and Friends

Hayden Anderson - 2025

Sports at the Academy is a large part of the cadet training process. I am a part of the football team and have found it to be one of my favorite things about the Academy. The stresses of the Academy can be cumulative at times and when I get to go to practice between 1600-1800 […]

Building Resilience

Savannah Riera - 2026

I am an avid reader and enjoy selecting books which interest me outside of my required school reading. I found the book Resilience, by Eric Greitens, to be inspiring, captivating and relatable to many experiences in my own life. The book explores the virtue of resilience, its importance in life and why many people possess […]

What Happens After 1600

Jonah Lee - 2025

For most people, classes run from 0800 to around 1600, or 4:00 pm. After that, the rest of the day is yours. The sports period is from 1600 – 1800 (4:00 pm — 6:00 pm), and you’d see all the varsity athletes and other various athletic clubs practicing, as well as the band, orchestra, or […]

Finding My Balance

Bryce Samples - 2024

One thing I really enjoy when I am at the Academy is finding my balance to the daily academic and military obligations. During the work week I find myself hanging out with friends late at night, eating with them in the Wardroom, or going to sporting events. The sports here are so fun to watch […]

Sponsor Family Program

Kobi Weiland - 2025

I am from Alaska so while deciding to come to the academy I was worried (and so was my mom) about moving so far away from home. The time difference makes traveling home challenging and I didn’t know anyone near New London that I could go to on weekends unlike the cadets that live only […]

Thankful for a Strong Community

Christian Salayon - 2026

One thing that I love about the Academy is the strong community that continues to grow with time. As I was thinking about this, I realized how awesome it is to be able to connect with my shipmates, teachers, and mentors in a real and genuine way. Just the other day as I was squaring around Chase, I randomly struck up a greeting […]

A Sense of Belonging

Savannah Riera - 2026

My life journey, cultural upbringing, values and moving overseas to Lima, Peru for over five years was an impactful event in my life and a period of personal growth. It illuminated my vision of the world, reset my purpose and cemented my goal to pursue a career in the United States Coast Guard. I was […]

Guitars 4 Veterans

Lydia Boyer - 2026

Cadets have the unique opportunity to join a veterans guitar jam session at the nearby Veterans Outreach Center in Norwich, Connecticut. It is one of the many ways in which a cadet can complete their required community service hours, but this event is special because getting to be a part of the Veterans jam session […]

Nankurunaisa

Michelle Swanson - 2026

Nankurunaisa. In English, there is no word that sums up this Okinawan term which roughly translates to: “don’t worry- it’ll be alright.” “Nankurunaisa,” is what my Obachan, my grandma, whispered to me during the 2011 Japan earthquake. “Nankurunaisa,” is what I whispered to myself at 8 years old, it hit me: I could lose everything.  I […]

Break-ing Away on my Free Time

Greg Boland - 2023

As a fourth-class cadet I did not know much about what Connecticut had to offer. It was not until this semester, my fall, first-class semester, when I finally started to branch out and see what makes Connecticut so great. Since we are in New London, we are right on the Thames River while also being […]

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